Categories: South Africa Universities

types of universities in south africa 2024-2025

South Africa has world-class educational institutions. The country has 24 public higher education institutions that provide both domestic and international students with a variety of curricula and research opportunities. South Africa’s higher education system was reorganized in 2003 to improve access to higher education. South Africa now has three types of public higher education institutions: traditional universities, technological universities, and comprehensive universities.

South Africa has 11 classical universities that provide theoretically oriented degrees, six comprehensive universities that provide a mix of academic and vocational degrees and certifications, and six technology universities that focus on vocational education.

The Ministry of Higher Education and Training is in charge of higher education, technical and vocational education and training, and adult basic education and training (ABET).

South Africa’s Higher Education Sector

South Africa’s Tertiary Education sector consists of 26 state universities, 50 public technical and vocational education and training colleges (TVET), 96 registered private higher education institutions, and 29 provisionally registered private higher education institutions. Minister Nzimande stated in his 2016 Budget Speech that the Department’s budget for public higher education institutions would increase at an annual average of 9.8%, from R42 billion in 2015/16 to R55.3 billion in 2018/19, in order to produce graduates with the skills that are urgently needed to expand South Africa’s economy.